Quick sketches with a Zebra

Here’s another combo that I put together from stuff in my Urban Sketchers goodie bag: a Zebra disposable brush pen and a little Pen & Ink sketchbook. I’m a fan of brush pens because I like a flexible nib or one that responds to pressure. The nib on this pen isn’t flexible but you can make thin or thick lines depending on how hard you press on it or how you tilt it as you draw.

The sketches are ones that I did in the few days after the symposium — on the train to Lisbon, looking out the window at the little towns as the train stopped, waiting in the train station for my son, standing in line at the Monasterio de Jeronimos in Belem, and finally in the plane on the way back to Montreal. Some are one or two minute drawings, some took as long as five minutes. I love having a book on hand for these quick sketches.

Here’s the book and the pen. The paper is too thin for much watercolour but perfect for a bit of marker or quick washes when you want to add a touch of colour to sketches.

HI Iasonas. Thanks so much! The architectural ones are done while looking out a train window. Both times I drew while the train was stopped, which was usually 2-3 minutes. I tried to quickly draw in the shapes each town and filled in a few lines as we pulled out of the station. I added colour to the second one after we had left the station.

They are very beautiful indeed! And I think having very limited timeis a challenge but also an asset…you get to capture the most important shapes letting the viewer fill in the missing details. Very nice work even if it took you a few minutes to complete!

These are so much fun to do Tony. Especially when you find the right pen that feels good in the hand. It’s funny that the Villafranca sketch caught your eye. After I did it, I thought “Wow, looks like a sketch Tony might do”. And I was quite proud of myself for drawing like you!